1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to new and useful improvements in animal repellant apparatus and more particularly, apparatus for protecting trash cans and the like from animals.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Silverman, U.S. Pat. No. 2,297,193, discloses a garbage can holder comprising a base and a supporting railing which prevents the garbage can or trash can from being overturned. This may provide some physical protection against animals.
Adams, U.S. Pat. No. 1,165,485, discloses an electrically charged or energized grid arranged to be supported on the ground or on a floor for guarding the entrances to rooms, dwellings, vaults, business houses, and the like for protection against thieves and burglars. The apparatus carries a sufficient electric charge to kill or severely injure a person stepping on it.
Barcroft, U.S. Pat. No. 2,187,928, discloses an arrangement of electric conductors or strips on a floor or a mat arranged to activate a burglar alarm. The strips are electric conductors and may be metal foil or metal paint applied to a floor or to a matting.
Additionally, it is known to provide electrically energized wire fences for enclosing livestock and it is also known to use electrically energized portable prods for manipulating livestock and other animals.
The prior art, however, does not disclose any simple, electrically energized animal repellant apparatus for protecting trash cans and the like which would not kill an animal or injure a human, adult or child, and particularly, does not disclose apparatus of this type which would be free from shorting out by rainwater.